Redfish to Bench Lakes Hike

The Redfish to Bench Lakes Hike offers an exciting adventure, yielding a diversity of flora and fauna and amazing alpine views. As this scenic route is well-loved, the path is well managed and easy to navigate—though it is not without its rocks and roots obstructing the pathway. Mind your footing on the sections of uneven terrain, and consider wearing a sturdy pair of footwear to safeguard your ankles! Additionally, we suggest bringing some insect repellent as the bugs can be relentless! Lastly, it is important not to forget your camera; the scenery is picture perfect!

Setting out from the trailhead, the Redfish to Bench Lakes Hike follows the Bear Trap Trail to an intersection. Here, you will merge onto the Fishhook Trail, which travels into the woodlands. Soon after your departure, you will reach another junction, veer left, and you will be diverted onto the Redfish Creek-Barron Creek Trail, which intersects with Fishhook Creek via a footbridge. From here, the route wanders southwestwardly, alternating between meadows that offer impressive views of the lake below and the surrounding mountainscape. After some hiking, you will confront an intersection with the Bench Lakes Trail. While you can explore the lakes now, we chose to save the best for our return trip.

Instead, we kept hiking down to the trail fork with the Redfish Inlet Trail. Admire the breathtaking scenery of the encompassing granite mountains, then retrace your footing up to the Bench Lakes Trail, this time taking the route up to the shoreline of the alpine pools. Explore the beautiful basin beneath Mount Heyburn, then retrace your footing along the path to the trailhead.